Archive for February, 2010
Custom Water Fountains Made Easy
Are you considering a custom water fountain but just don’t know where to start? Here are a few tips about what to consider before researching a custom fountain and the questions you will be asked to get a quote for your feature.
Fountain Size What size waterfountain are you interested in? This is usually a fairly simple question. The reason this is one of the first is that we will always consider the “stock” model fountains that are readily available first as it will keep the cost down for you. To figure out the size you need look at the wall or floor space you have available and figure out how much of that space you want taken up with your custom water fountain. You don’t have to take up the whole space. People use all types of filler such as plants other art work or furniture to take up additional space around the fountain.
Feature Style This is the type of fountain you want for example a floor standing fountain wall fountain or one that may sit on a counter or in a niche. This is very important as it will determine how your custom fountain is constructed and where the plumbing goes. For example if the fountain will hang on a wall the workings of the water feature can go up the back where if it will be a floor standing fountain that will be viewed from both sides the plumbing of the fountain will go up the sides so they are hidden.
Fountain Material This is very important as well in the custom fountain quote process as some materials are more expensive than others. Very common materials for a water features frame are stainless steel and copper. Typically the stainless steel can be powder coated in any color you desire. Face materials canvery from clear glass mirror slate or any type of glass or other material you can envision.
Type of Water Supply Many people aren’t sure on this question. Basically with custom fountains you have 2 options for the water supply manual fill or autofill. 90 of the custom fountains we do use the manual fill. Simply put you add water yourself as needed. Autofill is nice for large features but also gets more expensive and requires a plumber putting a water line to the fountain. Very convenient once it is done but not a must!
Customized Logo Is the water feature going in a business? If so think about whether you want to personalize the custom fountain with a logo. Depending on the material you can do a vinyl logo or engraved logo.
Researching custom fountains can be very overwhelming. We arehere to make this as painless as possible. See examples and talk with a fountain expert at Serenityhealth.com to start the custom fountain selection process today.
About the writer: Kristina L. writes for the website Serenityhealth.com your online retailer of custom water fountains commercial fountains and all types of water fountains. Visit us today or call and talk with one of the fountain experts about your next water feature.
Create A Focal Point With Home Lamps
An important element in design is the focal point of a room. It is where your eyes are drawn to and its the first thing you notice when walking into a room. In a living room the sofa is usually the focal point and for a bedroom its usually the bed. Creating a focal point is your chance to show off a piece of furniture or an accessory in the room. Lamps paintings and pianos can be used as focal points among other pieces of furniture. It can help set the tone of the theme you are designing with. How you arrange the room will create a focal point. If you have a piece of furniture or an accessory that you want as a focal point you will have to strategically arrange the room to create it.
Stunning home lamps can be used as the focal point of a room. Lamps are beautiful accessories that come in different shapes colors textures heights and materials. They are great to be used as focal points because they are like a spotlight. They also create a certain mood in a room because of how they are designed and lit. Some are modern while others are traditional and some lamps are brightly lit while others are dim. Dont be afraid to use a home lamp as a focal point because its not the biggest piece in the room. Focal points can be small and dont always have to be a grand armoire or couch. The quality and design of a piece make it unique and beautiful which is what you want for a focal point.
If you want to use a beautiful or unique table lamp as the focal point here are a few ways to draw attention to it. Choose a table that is simple to place the lamp on that wont draw attention away from using the table lamp as the focal point. Find a place in the room where its sure to be seen. A foyer would be a great location to place a small table to display a lamp and it would be the first piece of furniture to be seen in your home. There also wouldnt be big pieces of furniture for the lamp to compete with. Be sure to keep simple accessories such as candles smaller than the lamp or use plain matching colors. The table lamp should have a unique design or a stunning lamp shade that will draw attention and create conversation.
About the writer: Krystle Green is a contributing editor at www.finehomelamps.com which offers an extensive collection of lighting for the home including home lamps table lamps and accent lamps in contemporary modern and traditional styles from Wildwood Lamps Candice Olson Lighting and AF Lighting. For more information visit: www.finehomelamps.com.
Corian Worktops: The Best Kitchen Solution
Retail sales of kitchen furniture have seen growth of 4.5 in the last two years representing a value of 2225 million excluding appliances. This growth is in spite of a 22 decline in the number of consumers purchasing over the same period.
Although the amount of time people spend preparing food is decreasing the amount of time people are spending in the kitchen is increasing. Entertainment is now entering the kitchen with flipdown TV screens inbuilt DVDs integrated coffee machines and wine cooling units. People want gadgets that make life in the kitchen easier as lifestyles become more hectic. The kitchen is fast becoming a bit of a haven for people and people increasingly entertain guests in their kitchens.
Also taking into account 11.9 million people under 16 in the UK it is important that your kitchen gives you all the functions which you need; hygiene and aesthetical appeal. The amount of time spent in the kitchen means that there is more daily wear and tear and with children it is imperative that kitchen worktops have superior hygiene is imperative.
In the past unless you had a lot of money kitchen worktops were constructed from wood such as chip board that is laminated or veneered with a plastic coating which can resemble anything you like from wood finish to granite. Although a very cost effective way of designing your kitchen this type of surface has a poor life cycle and questionable hygiene. It is worth investing in a material which you know is going to last and one which possess brilliant aesthetical qualities and this material is Corian.
Introduced in 1967 and a registered trademark of DuPont Corian is composed of acrylic polymer and alumina trihydrate. Corian is a durable and versatile material. Due to the nature of the kitchen environment which frequent a lot of daily wear and tear Corian is an ideal material as it resists impacts and so has a long lifecycle. Corian is also a nontoxic and very hygienic material again making it ideal for kitchen and bathroom environments this is due to the material being nonporous and so bacteria and mould have nowhere to hide.
The look and feel of your kitchen is extremely important as it is a room in which you will spend a lot of your time. Using Corian for your kitchen worktops is very beneficial as they come in many colours and patterns and due to the colour and patterns running through the entire thickness of the material it cannot wear away. This is massive contrast to veneered wooden worktops which nine times out of ten will become chipped or burnt.
Perhaps one of the best properties of Corian is that the worktops can be easily maintained and fully restored with an ordinary nonabrasive cleaner. In fact the material is so easy to maintain that burns from hot pans or burnt on food to the worktops can be effortlessly cleaned off. Any damage to the surface caused by wear and tear can be easily repaired making Corian ecocompatible.
In kitchen applications Corain is very easy to work with is easily fabricated just like hardwood using similar tools. Joining is also easy and can be glued inconspicuously making virtually unlimited worktops possible.
Remember you spend a lot of time in the kitchen along with your family. You want the luxury of easily maintaining your kitchen as well as having an aesthetically pleasing environment to surround yourself in. Corian worktops are a very sound investment and one which you will be pleased with for years to come.
About the writer: Phillip Martins is an experienced kitchen designer and recommends Corian worktops or your kitchen worktops. More information can be found at http://www.worktopsolutions.co.uk